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Witness: MRolfe
Statement: 1
Exhibits: MR 1
Date made: 03/07/13
IN THE MATTER OF THE SECOND SIGHT
REVIEW OF HORIZON
CONFIDENTIAL AND LEGALLY PRIVILEGED
DRAFT
STATEMENT OF MARTIN ROLFE
1, MARTIN ROLFE, Senior Test Analyst of Post Office Limited, Lovelace Road, Bracknell, Berkshire,
RG12 8SN WILL SAY AS FOLLOWS:
1 I am a Senior Test Analyst within the Post Office Limited (POL). I first joined POL in 1987 as a
counter clerk. I worked in various positions with POL but have been in my current role as Senior
Test Analyst for approximately 8 years.
2 As part of my current role I have worked at the Bracknell offices (Bracknell) of Fujitsu, which
POL also occupy part of, and I am currently based at Bracknell. As part of my role I am
responsible for testing and delivering the IT support for new projects and products before they
are rolled out to post offices.
3 I make this statement in relation to the Horizon Spot Review 5 response. A copy is attached at
exhibit MR1, and in particular to comment on the statement made by Mr Michael Rudkin
concerning his visit to the Bracknell site. Except where otherwise appears, the facts set out
within this witness statement are within my own knowledge, as gained from my involvement with
this matter. Where the matters set out below are not within my knowledge I have explained the
source of my information or belief and believe the same to be true. References to exhibits and
page numbers within this witness statement are references to documents exhibited at MR1
attached to this statement.
The use and set up at Bracknell
4 The basement room at Bracknell (Basement) was set up to create separate test environments
for the "Horizon" system, ie the point of sale computer system used throughout the Post Office
network of circa 11,800 branches. The hardware and terminals were located in the Basement to
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provide a test location for both POL and Fujitsu, which provides support to POL for Horizon. The
Basement was secure and could only be accessed by authorised individuals.
5 The main purpose of the Basement for POL is to provide a test environment to allow us to test
and troubleshoot any functional changes that were to be made to Horizon. This was also my
main role as Senior Test Analyst. The aim was to ensure that the changes would be successful
and proven before delivering them to the live post offices. At the time of Mr Rudkin's visit in
August 2008 we were testing the "Bureau Pre-Order Automation" project.
6 The Basement provided a test environment. It was not possible to access live transactions at
any Post Office branch from the Basement.
The Visit of Mr Rudkin
7 I do not specifically recall the visit of Mr Rudkin. I have conducted between 6 and 10 similar
visits with the purpose of demonstrating new transactions. This included demonstrations to
subpostmasters, but also other clients and partners of POL.
8 Unfortunately I am not able to access my diary from that period because we have since
transferred onto a different computer software and information from that period was not
transferred. However I have seen the email from me dated 18 August 2008 to Mr Rudkin (a
copy of which is exhibited at MR2) and consider that it is likely I was the person who showed Mr
Rudkin around on that day. It would be standard procedure for visitors to be accompanied
around the building and to the Basement.
9 I have seen the description of the Basement as provided by Mr Rudkin and it is reasonably
accurate. As I have mentioned above, I do not recall the visit and so cannot comment on
whether there were other people in the Basement at the time Mr Rudkin was shown in.
However, they could have been other employees working on the test environment but would
have been authorised to access the Basement.
10 With a visit to Bracknell, the main purpose was to provide a demonstration of new transactions to
the visitor. We were testing the "Bureau Pre-Order Automation" project at the time. The
terminals set up within the Basement would show the standard Horizon screens and look exactly
like Horizon as it is used in branches.
11 There may be some confusion over what was meant by describing any of the test transactions
as being in "real time". It would have been real time insofar as the test data being captured was
as it was entered on that date and time. However, this did not reflect the transactions at a live
branch. This would not have been possible as the Basement was a test environment and was
not connected to live branches in anyway. The tests conducted would have generated their own
data and not used any from a branch, either current or historical.
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12 I am also aware that Mr Rudkin alleges the person who accompanied him made comments
about a subpostmaster's account not balancing and then trying to make light of doing this. I take
these allegations very seriously. During any visit to Bracknell I would have remained
professional at all times and would certainly have never interfered with transaction data at a
branch, even if there was the capability to do so (which there was not).
13 As the stock units (ie terminals) used in the test environment, and therefore also in any
demonstration, were not live it also would not matter that the accounts balanced. There would
have been no need to reverse a transaction.
14 I have also seen that Mr Rudkin claims the Basement was referred to as the "covert operations"
room. During my time working at Bracknell, I have never heard the Basement referred to as this
nor would I ever refer to it by this name.
15 The programme that was being tested at the time would also not have generated any REMs.
This is used where there is a transfer of stock to or from head office. This was not relevant to
the current project and so I do not believe there would have been any test REMs generated.
Conclusion
16 Although I cannot specifically recall Mr Rudkin's visit to Bracknell I accept it is likely to have been
me that showed him around. However, with all due respect, Mr Rudkin is mistaken in believing
that the Basement was ever used to access, change or manipulate live transaction data at
branches.
17 The Basement was a secure test environment to test and develop front facing transactions within
the Horizon system. There was no connection with any live transaction data. Live transaction
data could not be accessed from the Basement.
I believe that the facts stated in this witness statement are true.
Signed:
MARTIN ROLFE
Dated:
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Witness: MRolfe
Statement: 1
Exhibits: MR 1
Date made: 03/07/13
IN THE MATTER OF THE SECOND SIGHT
REVIEW OF HORIZON
CONFIDENTIAL AND LEGALLY PRIVILEGED
DRAFT
STATEMENT OF MARTIN ROLFE
BOND DICKINSON LLP
Oceana House
39-49 Commercial Road
Southampton
$015 1GA
DX 38517 Southampton
Ref:AP6.364065.531
Solicitors for Post Office Limited
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IN THE MATTER OF THE SECOND SIGHT
INVESTIGATION OF HORIZON
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EXHIBIT "MR1"
Witness:
Statement:
Exhibits:
Date made:
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M Rolfe
1
MR1
03/07/13,
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IN THE MATTER OF THE SECOND SIGHT
INVESTIGATION OF HORIZON
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EXHIBIT "MR2"
Witness:
Statement:
Exhibits:
Date made:
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M Rolfe
1
MR1
03/07/13,
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